Pensions are long-term vehicles that should not be overhauled with every change in the political wind.

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Fact: Despite press reports to the contrary, public employee pensions are not overly generous. The average benefit for a member of the state and local employee retirement system is $18,300.

Fact: Less than 2 years ago, the legislature passed Tier 5, which is estimated to save taxpayers $35 billion over the next 30 years. It reformed the pension system to prevent pension padding, implement new employee contributions, raise the retirement age, and double the amount of time it takes for an employee to vest. The ink is barely dry and the savings have only begun to be felt, but now the Governor is proposing draconian pension cuts.

Fact: The current increase in pension costs for local governments is the result of the collapse of the economy and decline in the stock market. Pension costs will normalize as the economy recovers.

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Fact: Last year, our public schools experienced a $1.3 billion cut in state support and the imposition of a 2% property tax cap.

Result: This resulted in the loss of valuable programs and services for kids and the loss of more than 11,000 educators and staff through layoffs and attrition. Over the past three years, more than 30,000 teaching and staff positions have been eliminated.

Action: We, the undersigned - educators, administrators, staff, parents, students and concerned citizens - ask you, our lawmakers in Albany, to move the $250 million increase from the competitive grant program into general operating aid, increasing support to all public schools. The addition of $250 million in general operating aid will allow all school districts greater flexibility as they work to restore critical programs and/or services for students within the confines of the 2% property tax cap law.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE

The HVALF honors Martin Luther King Jr, on this day.

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On the day millions of Americans return unwanted gifts, New Yorkers returned to Rep. Nan Hayworth her anti-worker policies. Constituents presented empty gift boxes, literally “boxes of nothing”, at Hayworth’s office to symbolize what Hayworth has done for workers in the Hudson Valley.   Advocates criticized Rep. Nan Hayworth’s refusal to fight for fair trade with China, her willingness to play chicken with funding for unemployment insurance and the middle class payroll tax holiday and her support for measures to make outsourcing easier. 

Call Congress: 888-245-3381

The 1% have the resources to hire lobbyists and make their voices heard on Capitol Hill.  New York's unemployed workers cannot do that, they are counting on people like us to voice our support for renewing unemployment insurance.  Withouth Congressional action, unemployment funding will expire on Dec. 31.

As you know, the House Republicans are threatening to vote down the bill passed by the Senate on Friday, that would provide a 2 month extension of unemployment benefits, and allow for continued negotiations for a longer term fix.   The Senate bill is not perfect – but a failure by the House to approve it will mean that 1.8 million Americans could lose their unemployment insurance benefits in January!

Please take one minute today to stand in solidarity with the hundres of thousands of New Yorkers struggling to find work.

Please call 888-245-3381 and tell your representative that you support the Senate's unemployment bill!

December 16, New York, NY – Today, Mario Cilento was unanimously elected President of the New York State AFL-CIO by the organization’s Executive Council.  He assumes leadership immediately.  Cilento succeeds Denis Hughes who announced his retirement plans last month

Upon taking office, Cilento said, “I am honored, humbled and feel incredibly privileged to have been elected President of the New York State AFL-CIO. The labor movement in this state has always risen to the challenges laid before us.  Together, as one movement, we will once again meet those challenges, and provide a brighter economic future for all working men and women.”

Cilento said his focus will be harnessing the collective power of the labor movement’s 2.5 million members statewide. “Make no mistake about it, this is a statewide movement.  From Buffalo to Montauk and everywhere in between we will create a groundswell of activism to educate our members on the issues of the day, and as a result, be better able to mobilize them.”